Niger Catholic Diocese Confirms Abduction Toll Rises to 315 Students, Teachers

The Catholic Diocese of Kontagora has confirmed that the number of abducted students and teachers from St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary Schools in Papiri, Agwarra Local Government Area of Niger State, has increased to 315.

The latest figure emerged after additional verification, following the mass abduction carried out by suspected terrorists on Thursday.

This development coincided with directives by governors in three northern states ordering the closure of schools due to escalating insecurity. Taraba State Governor Agbu Kefas ordered all private and public schools to shut their hostels and operate only as day schools, while Niger State Governor Mohammed Bago mandated all schools statewide to close. Yobe State also announced the shutdown of its boarding schools.

Providing updates on the Papiri incident, the Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Niger State, who is also the Catholic Bishop of Kontagora Diocese, Most Rev. Bulus Johanna, disclosed that a fresh census revealed more missing students.

His media aide, Daniel Atori, in a statement, said earlier assumptions that several students had escaped were overturned after calls and verification.

The statement noted:
“After we left the school at Papiri, we decided to make calls, do a verification exercise and do further enquiries on those we had thought escaped, only to discover that 88 more students were also captured after they tried to escape.”

He added that some parents whose children were initially believed to have fled the attack later reported they were missing, prompting a recount.

“This now makes it 303 students (male and female) including 12 teachers (four females and eight males), bringing the total number of abducted persons to 315,” the statement continued.
It further clarified total school enrollment: 629 pupils and students — 430 in the primary school and 199 in the secondary.

Addressing reports that the school ignored a government warning to shut down due to insecurity, the Diocese dismissed the claim.

“That the school was given a prior warning by government through a circular is not true… It must be an afterthought and a way to shift blame,” the Bishop’s aide insisted.
He stressed that neither the Education Secretary nor the National Association of Private Schools received any shutdown directive.

Meanwhile in Niger State, Governor Bago ordered the immediate closure of all schools after a security meeting with top security officials.
He said:
“All missionary, Islamic schools and Federal Government Colleges should be shut down until further notice… All tertiary institutions in Niger North and other vulnerable areas in Niger East are to be closed down as well.”

On the abduction tally, the governor stated that security agencies, including the DSS and police, were still conducting a headcount to confirm the exact number of victims.

In Taraba, Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Dr. Augustina Godwin, said boarding students had become targets of attacks, prompting the governor’s immediate suspension of boarding activities in all secondary schools.

Similarly, Yobe State directed the shutdown of all boarding secondary schools pending security improvements, according to a statement from Mohammed Mamman, Director General of Press and Media Affairs to Governor Mai Mala Buni.

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